All large aircraft flights recorded over a 24 hour period replayed over 1 minute.

World tourism down by 8%

Newly-published figures have revealed that world tourism is currently down 8% this year on the same time last year.

Taleb Rifai, the secretary general of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, said it had initially forecast an overall slump of 2% for the calendar year, but in light of the current figures said it now expected a fall of 5%.

He said it was a major challenge to get world leaders to take the tourism industry seriously.

Speaking at a Tourism Society debate with the UNWTO entitled ‘Travel and Tourism: Stimulus for G20 Economies’, Rifai said: “Very few [world leaders] are aware that tourism can be part of the solution and very few give it political support.

“Tourism means jobs, trade and infrastructure and we have to get that message across.”

Rifai said the decision by the UK government to pull out of the organisation later this year was a mistake.

“It sends the message that they are not thinking along the same lines as us,” he said.

Marthinus Van Schalkwyk, the tourism minister for South Africa, said his country viewed tourism as a means to create jobs and as hugely important.

He said its government and the private sector were investing a total of £5.5bn in its infrastructure and ensuring hotels and lodges were environmentally friendly.

He claimed the staging of next year’s World Cup in South Africa was a huge opportunity for the country to showcase its products.

“We will be ready for it. People will be able to go on safari in the morning, to a game in the afternoon, and back into the bush in the evening. It will be a real African World Cup,” he said.

Danish skiers get a lift

This coming December, easyJet will launch a service on the Copenhagen – Geneva route, bringing the number of easyJet routes out of Copenhagen to six.

Just one week after announcing the launch of its Copenhagen-Manchester route, easyJet presents another expansion of the airline's route network out of Denmark. From December, easyJet will operate four weekly flights to Geneva.

easyJet expects the new route to Geneva to be attractive for the airline’s growing number of business travellers as well as for leisure travellers. Skiers in particular will benefit from the route, which will take them directly to the heart of the Swiss Alps this coming winter season. The airport is a mere 1-2 hours’ drive from some of Europe’s most popular ski resorts such as Val d’Isère, Val Thorens and Chamonix.

Six routes out of Copenhagen

With the launch of the Copenhagen-Geneva route, easyJet operates six routes out of Copenhagen. Since last summer, easyJet has already expanded its route network out of Denmark to include services to Milan and London Gatwick in addition to the existing two routes to Berlin and London Stansted.

Bournemouth get ready to ski via Geneva

Easyjet Flights to Geneva - Now on sale

easyJet’s popular winter flights from Bournemouth to Geneva are now on sale. This is easyJet’s fifth year of operating out of Bournemouth and demand for the route is as strong as ever. The winter service starts on 17th December and offers eight flights a week - daily plus two departures on Saturday. Fares are available from £25.99 one way, including all taxes and charges.

Perfect for winter sports:

The Bournemouth-Geneva route is perfect for those wanting a quick and easy way to get to the French and Swiss Alps. Some of the most popular resorts – such as Chamonix, Verbier, Courmayeur, Les Arcs and Val d’Isere - are within a couple of hours drive of the airport. Catch the lunchtime flight from Bournemouth and you’ll be enjoying pre-dinner drinks in your resort. And because you aren’t bound by the restrictions of charter flights, ski enthusiasts can get away for a two or three day short break or even just a weekend.

Perfect for a city break:

However Geneva is also a perfect city break destination. Nestling on the shores of Lake Geneva, at the foot of the Jura mountains, everything in the city exudes quality, elegance and a cosmopolitan lifestyle. For those on a short break it offers everything from gentle strolls around the antique shops in the Old Town, to exclusive shopping along the luxurious rue du Rhone, or thought-provoking visits to the UN or the Red Cross. And you won’t spend precious time travelling to the city – a train from the airport to the city centre takes less than ten minutes.

Flight times

Day Depart Bournemouth Arrive Geneva Depart Geneva Arrive Bournemouth

Sun - Fri 12:30 15:05 ret 11:20 12:00

Sat 15:50/16:50 ret 17:50/18:50 & 14:05/15:05 ret 14:45/15:45

New ski route for Norwich

WINTER SKI FLIGHTS TO GENEVA FROM NORWICH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Norwich Airport is offering low-cost winter flights to Geneva with Flybe starting from Saturday 19th December 2009. Passengers can buy flight only with Flybe, or choose a winter package holiday with Inghams, the leading independent ski tour operator that is offering Ski Switzerland holidays to the 12 major resorts direct from Norwich International Airport.

Geneva city breaks are perfect for relaxation and self-indulgence for those looking for lovely landmarks coupled with French-influenced shopping and dining, however as a winter destination, fly to Geneva for access to hundreds of kilometres of ski slopes, in one of the most spectacular mountain chains in the world.

Elliott Summers, the airport’s Managing Director commented: “We are pleased to offer these flights from Norwich Airport as Geneva is a very popular winter destination for local holiday-makers. The region offers all of the mountain activities you can possibly want, there is something for everyone.”

Holiday and Flight Information

· The flights will operate on Saturdays from 19th December to 13th March 2010 inclusive.

· The flying time from Norwich is 2 hours.

· The flight will depart from Norwich at 0955 and return flights depart at 1340.

Peak dates - Book early for your ski holiday

Following a difficult season, most operators have cut their capacity for next winter, meaning that available holidays on peak dates will be harder to get. Many operators are showing almost full for the peak half-term week in February as families and teachers start to book to secure their school holiday ski break. Traditional tour operators generally secure enough beds to cover the airline seats they have guaranteed for the winter, but this represents a huge financial risk, particularly with the pound struggling against the euro, the main currency for 91% of UK skiers, so by cutting capacity and concentrating on filling available places at higher rates, most operators will come out of next season better off, having taken considerably less risk. At hotels4u.com the advantage is that our hotel stock is not linked to high risk guaranteed aircraft seats, we provide great value hotel and apartments and transfers but let you choose the most suitable flight amongst the millions of available low-cost and scheduled flying serving the majority of ski destinations, so you get the best deal across the board. The other benefit is that in most destinations you can choose to travel on the day and for the duration that suits you, and not be tied in to standard Saturday-Saturday or Sunday-Sunday arrivals.

Helmet-use on the rise

A US-wide ski survey reveals helmet usage among skiers and riders nationwide increased 12 percent over the previous season...

According to the 2008/09 NSAA National Demographic Study, last season, 48 percent of all skiers and riders were wearing a helmet at the time of being interviewed, up from 43 percent during the 2007/08 season.

In comparison, only 25 percent of skiers and snowboarders wore helmets during the 2002/03 season. The annual Demographic Study is compiled from more than 130,000 interviews of skiers and riders nationwide. The study also showed that:

• 77 percent of children 9 years old or younger wear ski helmets;
• 66 percent of children between 10 and 14 wear ski helmets;
• 63 percent of adults over the age of 65 wear ski helmets;
• Helmet usage by skiers and boarders aged 18 to 24 is currently 32 percent, representing a 78 percent increase in usage for this age group since the 2002/03 season, when only 18 percent wore helmets.

In addition, overall ski helmet sales (adults and kids) have increased 43 percent over the past two years, dating back to the 2006/07 ski season.
Sales of adult ski helmets alone increased 50 percent since the 2006/07 season, according to the SnowSports Industries of America (SIA) annual Retail Audit.

Sterling Skis - The best ski in the world

Created just over 4 years ago, with production now into its 2 year, Sterling Skis have always dreamt of being the best skis in the world. Produced in very limited quantities (140 of each model per year), Sterling Skis come with an unbeatable money-back guarantee - If you don't like them and are not sking better than you did before, you get your money back. With prices in excess of $2500 a pair, that's a lot of money to put where your mouth is, but in the two years of producing skis, nobody has sent a pair back, and each year more and more people are putting there names on the wating list to get their hands on a pair. The skis are crafted with the best available materials, exotic woods and hi-tech components, and an R&D history that makes this ski purr. So what is the secret? The sweetest, tighest sweet-spot in the business, making this ski a pure pleasure to ride and a huge status symbol to own... At the momen these skis are only available in the US, but the word on the grapevine is that a number of hand-picked European ski retail outlets are being contacted to help to spread the joy.

Expect to start seeing these beauties on European ski slopes next winter, Courchevel, Zermatt, St Moritz, St Anton, Ischgl, Kitzbuehel, Cortina d'Ampezzo to name but a few.

visit the weabsite at www.sterlingskis.com

Ski holiday prices could rise more than 20%

Skiers are facing price hikes of more than 20% in the forthcoming season thanks to capacity cuts and the pound's continued weakness.

Speaking at the Erna Low Credit Crunch Report yesterday, chief executive Joanna Yellowlees-Bound said the ski specialist is currently contracting for the forthcoming season with the pound worth between €1.10 and €1.15, as opposed to €1.25 this time last year.

She added the situation has been worsened by some operators trimming capacity, which has helped drive up prices and could lead to a reduced lates market during the season.

Yellowlees-Bound said: "Overall price increases on peak season dates will be pretty high; at least 20% more than this year."

She warned the increase will see nearly 100,000 fewer Brits hit the slopes than the 1.4 million originally predicted in January 2008. The new estimate is 2% down on last season's numbers.

She added: "Next year is going to see the biggest negative growth (in the market) for some time."

Yellowlees-Bound said the cuts will also effect this year's lates market, adding: "There will not be the same offers as this year if people do leave it late.

"It is very important people realise that with late bookings next year, you may well book something late but it won't be your first choice."

She added Erna Low's average selling price for the last winter season grew by 15% to £1,000 as customers took advantage of savings of around 30% by booking extras like lift passes and ski hire.

At skihotels4u, we will be doing all we can to make skiing affordable with prices held as for last year - The beauty of skihotels4u, is that you can tailor-make your package to suit your wallet and your diary, benefiting from less congested flying times and shorter breaks with similar skiing time. If you book an Easyjet flight into GVA first thing in the morning, you can be on the slopes in Chamonix by 11 am, stay 3 nights but ski four full days so you save money all round....

Schladming to welcome Champs in 2013

The preparations for the 2013 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships are also progressing. The state of Styria has announced its own support program to ensure that visitors to the Schladming event will enjoy the best quality accommodation possible. Styria together with the Austrian government has made up to 130 million Euro available for hoteliers to upgrade their infrastructure in time for the event. This assistance is available to both existing and new lodging institutions in the region of Liezen up until the end of 2012.

Besides the tourism quality program, the region hosting Schladming 2013 is also putting great emphasis on sustainability and event legacy. This will be seen in the energy efficiency planning for any new construction among other initiatives. According to the state leadership, the 2013 event shall go down in history as the greenest FIS World Ski Championships ever held. The plans also call for a high degree of involvement by the local population in realizing the sustainability of the event. Overall, the Dachstein-Tauern region is planning to invest up to 700 million Euro in projects related to the 2013 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.

Catch Madonna in Barcelona - 21st July

The queen of pop will play at the Estadio Olimpico de Lluis - which is located within easy reach of the many Barcelona hotels - on July 21st in support of her latest album Hard Candy, which was released last year and has spawned the singles Miles Away, Give It 2 Me and 4 Minutes, the latter of which features Justin Timberlake.

However, Madge fans can rest assured that she will likely perform hits from her entire back catalogue, ranging from Holiday and Like a Prayer to Get Into the Groove and Hung Up. The star, who was recently confirmed to be the face of Louis Vuitton's advertising campaign for the fashion house's 2009 autumn and winter collection, is famous for putting on elaborate and breathtaking shows that make use of spectacular special effects, lighting and dance routines.

Tickets for the event, which are on sale now, are available in a range of prices, from 65 EUR to 175 EUR.

Meanwhile, people keen to get up close and personal have an array of VIP packages to choose from. They begin at 378.50 EUR and rise to 403.50 EUR. Book your hotel now on www.hotels4u.com

Pick up a bargain and book cheap hotels with confidence at hotels4u.com

Summer is upon us and if you’ve been waiting for the right time to decide on your holiday, then that time is now! There’ll never a be a better time to grab a great deal on a hotel in your dream destination. So welcome to hotels4u.com where we can help you choose and securely book from a fantastic range of hotels, all fully protected by ABTA. Check out our Top Hotels in Turkey to get a feel for the bargains we can offer or for something a bit closer to home our Top Mallorca Hotels are definitely worth a look. And if you’re open to a one off suggestion then the Norida Beach Hotel in Kos offers the best value in the best location that you’ll find on the web.

from www.hotels4u.com.

Summer Holiday deals from Thomas Cook

Date Destination Accommodation Board From Nights

05-Jun Turkey Kocer Club Apts Self Catering £160pp 7

14-Jun Gran Canaria Guanabara Park Self Catering £225pp 7

05-Jun Mallorca Cristina Self Catering £213pp 7

04-Jun Tenerife Parque la Paz Self Catering £256pp 7

04-Jun Egypt Sharm Inn Amarein Bed & Breakfast £220pp 7

12-Jun Ibiza Hotel Llevant Bed & Breakfast £99pp 7

05-Jun Greece Trabukos Studios Self Catering £175pp 7

03-Jul Tunisia Bel Air Hotel Half Board £265pp 7

17-Jun Cyprus River Reggae Self Catering £197pp 7

02-Jun Mexico Occidental Allegro All Inclusive £476pp 14

From www.thomascook.com

Eurostar launches connecting fares to Switzerland

Eurostar has introduced connecting fares to 18 key Swiss stations in conjunction with high-speed train operator Lyria.

Tickets start from just under £100 return to Geneva

The fastest journey times from London’s St Pancras International to the main Swiss cities are 06h 28m to Geneva, 06h 50m to Lausanne, 07h 28m to Zurich, 06h 19m to Basel and 07h 40m to Bern.

“We are always looking at ways to facilitate greener travel throughout Europe on high-speed trains,” said Simon Montague, Eurostar director of communications.

“It is great news that our passengers can now book their tickets to Switzerland with the convenience and good value of connecting fares. We will continue to explore the various opportunities that will allow us to extend our range of destinations in the future.”

Sterling making tentative signs of recovery

Good news for the programme this winter as sterling starts to make a tentative recovery, hitting peaks of 1.15 to the euro, levels it hadn't reached for over 7 months. If this continues, then it could give holiday operators a breath of fresh air after a difficult 12 month trading period. Average cost of a ski holiday is between £800-1000 when you include lift pass, ski hire and tuition, so any significant rise to around 1.25 means an extra £100 to spend or save per person.
skihotels4u.com is following these developments carefully and will always ensure that the customer gets the best available deal; selling only on-line gives us a huge amount of flexibility and reactivity, meaning that what the client pays takes into account the latest exchange rates, unlike traditional brochure based tour operators who fix their prices against an exchange rate which is set sometimes up to 14 months before travel. When the market is recovering the customer will be paying more than they need to. On a booking for an average family of 4 the difference can add up to several hundred pounds. That's why it makes sense to book with somebody like skihotels4u.com as they are at the forefront of technology and always pass special offers on to the customer.

All is not morose in the leisure industry

Virgin Atlantic has managed to nearly double its pre-tax profits in the toughest trading environment of its 25-year history.

The airline grew profits from £34.8 million last year to £68.4 million for the year from March 2008 to February 2009.

It said the growth was down to a rise in premium travellers and “prudent management decisions”.

Group sales, including its tour operator business Virgin Holidays, rose 8.4% from £2.380 billion to £2.579 billion.

The total number of passengers carried during 2008 increased to 5.77 million.

Virgin employees will benefit from a bonus payout, as 10% of the group’s profits is shared among staff.

President Sir Richard Branson said: “The last financial year has proven to be the most volatile yet in our 25-year history. To increase profits against a backdrop of such a severe recession is an excellent achievement by all of our staff.”

The results are in stark contrast to other airlines, including rival British Airways which reported an annual loss before tax of £401m last week (see separate story today).

BA said premium traffic had fallen by 13% in the second half of its financial year.

Virgin chief executive Steve Ridgway added: “We are winning market share from our competitors during the toughest trading environment ever.”

Bode Miller from Mayrhofen

Mayrhofen Im Zillertal, Austria - Bode Miller has said that he will race on the World Cup again next year, but has not stated whether he will ski at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. The Associated Press reports that Miller met Thursday with the team at Head Skis, the company that sponsors Miller, and told them that he will return to ski competitively next season.
"He's planning to continue," Head's racing director Rainer Salzgeber told The Associated Press. "I wouldn't have been surprised if he had told us he was taking the year off. But he said, 'No, I don't want to do that."'

After winning the overall World Cup title two seasons ago, Miller left the circuit early last season. There were still four stops to go when he announced that he was leaving in order to spend time with his 1-year-old daughter.
Miller apparently plans to race without coaches and will skip summer training. He also skipped talking about his return when contacted by the AP.

"I'm not going to talk about it. I don't have much faith in the media," he said. "Why don't you just skip that part of the story and write whatever you want to write because that's what you guys do anyway."

Ski holidays - New Freedom

Ski holidays used to be fixed stay 7 day holiday packages organised by Tour Operators, with flight, transfer and hotel or chalet accommodation included, and a rep in resort to help you sort out your ski packs and any problems. As more and more people become experienced travellers, this this of packaging becomes less necessary, and with the advent of low cost carriers providing literally millions of low cost seats to all the ski destinations, arriving all days of the week, most people are more than happy to do it by themselves!
Nowadays more and more hotels are opening up to flexible arrival days, meaning that savvy skiers can still get their 6 days on the ski slopes, but can fly in on a Tuesday morning, book 5 nights accommodation, ski on the last day and fly back out late on Saturday night, saving them 2 nights accommodation and benefiting from cheap flight prices on the Tuesday. This entails a radical change from traditional booking patterns where late booking was guarantee of a good deal... Now, you can book early, make the most of cheap airfares, and Early Booking Discounts on accommodation, sometimes up to 20% if you book before the end of August. You are able then to plan your holiday to make the most of the weekends, take less time off work and save yourself money getting exactly the ski holiday you want.

British Airways suffer record loss

British Airways has reported a pre-tax loss of £401 million for its financial year ending March 31, compared with a £922 million profit in 2007-08.

In accounts published this morning, the airline also revealed an operating loss of £220 million, down from an £878 million profit.

Airline bosses expect the downturn to continue, saying there is “no recovery in sight”.

BA chief executive Willie Walsh revealed several measures being taken to alleviate the company’s plight.

Up to 16 aircraft are to be grounded, 4% overall capacity will be cut in winter, and no dividend will be paid to shareholders.

“Reduced passenger and cargo demand and high fuel prices last summer contributed to our £220 million operating loss as our total fuel bill reached almost £3 billion," he added.

“The prolonged nature of the global downturn makes this the harshest trading environment we have ever faced and, with no immediate improvement visible, market conditions remain challenging.”

Walsh said the airline shifted its focus in the fourth quarter of 2008 from driving yields to securing volume as travellers became more price sensitive.

“Despite the fall in premium travel, our market share is growing currently and we must maintain this momentum.

Saas Fee Valley

The Saas-Fee/Saastal Tourist Office is offering a seven-night adventure holiday in the Saas Valley from CHF 343 (€226) per person. The package includes seven nights in a two-star self-catering holiday apartment and a seven-day Saas-Valley Adventure Pass.

The week-long package is also offered in a range of accommodation: A three-star holiday apartment is CHF 413 (€272); a four-star apartment is CHF 448 (€295); and a five-star apartment is CHF 483 (€318). Alternatively, the package is available in a hotel with half-board. The offer is valid between July 4 and Oct. 3, 2009.

The Saas-Valley Adventure Pass is valid for seven consecutive days in summer 2009 (June 13 to Oct. 11, 2009) and it includes all cableways in the Saas Valley and the Metro Alpin; the postbus from Stalden-Saas to Saas-Fee and Mattmark; admission to the swimming pool at the Bielen leisure centre; use of the mini golf courses in Saas-Fee and Saas-Almagell; the Feeblitz toboggan run (one ride); transport by postbus and aerial cableway to the Gspon mountain path; and use of the cableway Monte-Moro in Macugnaga in Italy.

The Saas Valley offers much to explore with 18 peaks reaching more than 4,000 metres high, striking glaciers, and mountainside villages. Apart from its 350-kilometre-long network of hiking paths, the Saas Valley also has a wide variety of summer activities, with summer skiing and snowboarding, an adventure forest, mountain-biking, mini-golf, petanque, pit pat, trekking on horseback, scooters, climbing sessions for children and sunrise excursions.

More information. Or call +41 2795 81858.

Kitzbühel summer hiking

Kitzbuehel Tourismus is offering the KitzAlps Summercard Package from €164 per person for seven nights. This package includes seven nights' accommodation in Kitzbuehel or one of the surrounding villages and a six-day Kitzbueheler Alpen Summer Card.

The Kitzbueheler Alpen Summer Card offers access to 31 cable cars and lifts across 13 cable car companies using just one ticket. This seven-day card saves approximately 32 percent compared to buying single lift tickets. The card allows visitors to use the listed cable cars as often as they like, even several times a day. The package also features guided walks free of charge.

The seven-day package at €164 per person is in apartment accommodation. There is also the opportunity to stay in hotels, inns, pensions and farmhouses. Seven-night accommodation in an apartment ranges from €164 to €295 per person; farmhouses €184 to €220; pensions €186 to €378; and hotels €326 to €1103. Selected accommodations have additional features included in the package price, like breakfast, half-board, spa vouchers and Nordic walking tours.

The package is valid between May 18 and Oct. 31, 2009. The offer is also available for three or four days with a three-day Kitzbueheler Alpen Summer Card from €93 per person.

More information. Or call +43 (0)5356 777 45

Grindelwald summer biking

The Jungfrau Region Marketing is offering a four-night Bike & Adventure - 4 for 3 Package in Grindelwald from CHF 369 (€242) per person.

The biking package includes four nights in a Grindelwald hotel for the price of three; one guided bike tour; and one entrance into the first indoor rope park in Switzerland or one racy ride with the ‘First flyer'. It also covers all services, taxes and 7.6 percent VAT.

There are five bike hotels available to choose from in Grindelwald: the two-star Lauberhorn for CHF 369 (€246) per person, per night; the three-star Parkhotel Schoenegg for CHF 479 (€319); or the four-star hotels - Selfness Hotel Eiger, Kirchbuehel, and the Belvedere - all at CHF 479 (€319).

Grindelwald offers 160 kilometres of signed mountain bike routes, which are divided into three levels. The use of helmets is recommended and bikers must ride responsibly, being courteous to hikers and avoiding flora and fauna. There is also a bike training course at the upper glacier.

The Bike & Adventure - 4 for 3 Package is valid in June 1-30 and Sept. 1-30, 2009. All prices are per person in a double room. Prices for single rooms and children are also available on request.

More information. Or call +41 3385 41240.

New lifts for Flaine

The new fixed grip La Foret quad will be a six minute ride accessing the seater chairlift accessing the beginners’ zone. It will rise 300 vertical metres over its 1,770m length and open a direct link to the ski runs from the western part of the Intrawest Village, the Hameau Scandinave and the Refuge du Golf.
A second new fixed-grip quad will improve the links to the Auron sector and replace the Bois draglift scheduled for removal this summer, although the neighbouring Aujon and Grand Grenier draglifts will remain. Customer advantages will include faster and direct access to this zone instead of the current route via Aup de Véran. The two kilometre long lift will rise 400 vertical metres.
The resort’s upgrading of its bucket lift will optimise user convenience on the link between the upper and lower beginners’ zones. The restored lift will reduce waiting times and mean less congestion for Tête des Verds.
Flaine will also introduce new snowmaking to its pioneering system (One of Europe’s longest established and most extensive networks, first started more than 35 years ago and currently operating more than 200 snow cannons. The new system will take water from a bore hole drilled 300 metres below the resort which has been tested to not interfere with the water table.

UK tourists feel the pinch

Number of foreign holidays taken by Brits falls 6%

(14 May 2009)
The number of foreign holidays taken by Brits fell 6% in the year to March as the recession and weak pound took their toll on the travel industry, according to figures released today by the Office of National Statistics.

The figure fell from 70.2 million in the 12 months to March, to 66 million.

Visits by UK residents to Europe decreased by 6% at 52.5 million, while visits to North America fell by 9% to 4.2 million. Travel to other parts of the world decreased by 6% to 9.3 million.

A spokesman for ABTA said the results were no surprise. "The credit crunch has been an issue for over a year now so it was inevitable it would have an impact on people travelling abroad," he said.

"Our members have planned for this with capacity cuts - 6% is not good but it could have been worse, it is manageable."

Despite talk of a growth in inbound tourism, travel to the UK by overseas residents has also suffered, according to the figures. The number of overseas visitors to the UK fell 7% during the 12 months ending in March (from 33.2 to 31.0 million).

The number of US travellers coming to the UK saw the highest fall of 17% to 3.7 million, perhaps due to the country being hit hard by the economic downturn.

However, there was a slight pick up in inbound tourism in the first three months of the year.

Travelodge spokesman Nick Dines said: "The increase reflects the added appeal of the UK to continental visitors thanks to the weakness of the pound. For the rest of the year it is critical that we are marketed abroad as a value destination, offering locations and an experience that cannot be matched anywhere else in the world."

The figures come from the ONS' International Passenger Survey.

Austria set-up complete

We now have a considerable programme in some of the top Austrian resorts, including Kitzbühel, St Anton, Schladming, Söll and Zell am Zee with a great range running from 2* pensions to 5* resorts.

Bulgaria is finalised

After a long trip to visit properties, we finally made the choice of Bankso and Borovets as our main ski destinations, with around 10 accommodation choices in each, ranging from good quality 3 stars to International standard 5* hotels like the Katarino Resort & Spa in Bansko and the Yastrebets Wellness & Spa in Borovets.

Switzerland is on board

We have a number of new ski destinations in Switzerland including Mürren, Grindelwald, St Moritz, Zermatt, Wengen and Crans Montana.

Logo is chosen and confirmed

After lots of versions, the final choice has been made and the skihotels4u.com logo will be revealed soon...

Core ski destinations are chosen

The core ski destinations for the new ski accommodation brand will be:

France

Austria

Italy

Bulgaria

Andorra

Switzerland

USA

Canada

Decision is taken to launch new ski accommodation brand

Decision has been ataken to launch new ski accommodation brand, logos are done and agreed.